GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – An April memo from the Michigan Education Association legal team on the impact of Proposal 2 – used extensively in campaigns attacking the proposal – might not be accurate in wake of an appeals court decision, the union said.

But opponents of the proposal to enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution say the teachers union is trying to confuse voters about organized labor’s intent, and wonder why the union would wait months to denounce its own memo.

The union’s legal team in April issued the three-page memo listing laws that would be voided if the measure, called Protect Our Jobs and Protecting Working Families, is approved by voters.

MEA President Steven Cook late Wednesday issued a release saying the memo was speculative and is being used to scare voters.

“Last spring the MEA Legal Department circulated an internal memo speculating about the effects of Proposal 2. Since the MEA memo was written, the Michigan Court of Appeals has rejected a broad interpretation of the amendment saying:

‘Presuming the people of the State of Michigan enact the proposed initiative, the Legislature would remain empowered to 'enact laws relative to the hours and conditions of employment,' and indeed, the bare fact that employees of the State would have the right to collectively bargain does not in any way force the legislature to enact, or decline to enact, any laws whatsoever.’

“Corporate special interests bent on scaring voters about the impacts of Proposal 2 are lying about the legal impacts of protecting collective bargaining rights.

Collective bargaining keeps our kids and our communities safer by allowing teachers and first responders to negotiate for the tools they need to do their jobs properly - and gives all workers a voice for fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions.

But leaders of Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution lashed out, saying the union was “denouncing its own legal staff, stretching its own credibility to the breaking point and directly contradicting statements by Cook himself who recently defended the memo in question in television news reports.”

“The MEA and other backers of Proposal 2 have finally realized what parents and voters across Michigan have known since its memo leaked; telling the truth about what Proposal 2 would do to the laws that keep our kids safe makes Prop 2 awfully unpopular,” said Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

He said the Proposal 2 prohibits lawmakers from limiting the right to collectively bargain for wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.

While the Court of Appeals found the legislature would not be prevented from ‘enacting laws relative to the hours and conditions of employment,’ Proposal 2’s language makes it clear that any current or existing laws enacted by the Legislature that are in conflict with a collectively bargained contract would be invalidated, he said.

Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution has used the MEA memo for a series of ads saying that laws prohibiting bargaining for teacher discipline, tenure and other issues would make schools less safe.

Proposal 2 backers have accused opponents of overstating the impact, and trying to scare voters.

The coalition of unions and Democrats supporting the measure enlisted former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who blasted opposition ads, calling them “lies,” and “beyond offensive,” and accused the group of “fear-mongering.”

Granholm said she wanted to “debunk myths” about claims that “are so utterly wrong” with “no foundation in the truth.”

The former Democratic governor, now a cable talks show host, said bargaining “is just a way to level the playing field” and respect employees.